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Believe in the Power of Dreams
May 9, 2012 10:34 AM
By Chad Liddle - Faculty
A wise man once told me the scariest thing about working with teenage kids is that you are dealing with some very powerful forces… for “the most powerful motivator in a person’s life is often the fulfillment of their children’s dreams.” After all, that is what we at Darlington hope to do – “catalyze” the lives of all the young people we touch, whether in our Lower School classrooms, in creative and innovative Middle School courses like Adventure Sports, in Advance Placement courses where we might ignite passions for various career choices, on stage, or on the athletic fields.
I often look at Darlington’s Board of Trustees to try and find a common thread between these incredibly successful people. One obvious commonality they all have is incredible energy and love for life, people and Darlington. Another common thread is obviously Darlington, for many of them will tell you that this school changed their course in life – that their time here inspired maturation, leadership development and personal growth … and helped them reach some incredible dreams. At Darlington, I’m always amazed at how many opportunities our young people have to LEAD and ENGAGE.
Two young ladies in the Soccer Academy have chosen to dream and dream BIG! Darlington juniors Allison Wetherington and Jane Campbell are reaching some incredible goals that they set many years ago.
A few years ago, at a dinner before her departure for a National Team Camp, Jane’s dad told me that as a little girl, she said she wanted to win an Olympic Gold Medal and a World Cup. What 10- or 11-year-old says those things? Even more, what 10- or 11-year-old says those things and follows through by taking the most difficult paths through life to achieve such high goals.
Allison has the same dream and is taking a very similar same path. As a seventh-grader, she joined Darlington’s Middle School so she could train and play with the Academy. Knowing she was a “special, special player,” we at the Soccer Academy constantly threw her into the deep end of the pool. As a seventh-grader, she played with our oldest girls against college teams, and every year played at the U19 level in top showcase events. I will never forget college coaches coming up to me at the Miami Orange Classic – when she was a seventh-grader playing with and against seniors – and asking, “Is this a mistake? Is she really a 2013 Graduate?”
This year, these young ladies are fulfilling their dreams – they have utilized every moment at Darlington, both academic and athletic, to the absolute fullest! Allison has become one of the center midfielders for the US U18 Women’s National team, and has played against China and in other international friendlies. In June, she has been asked to be part of another major National Team Camp by U.S. Soccer, and will get to play beside some of her future teammates at NCAA Top-20 Portland University. Allison has been pulled into top international events in France and other locations over the past year. And this year, she and Jane became the first-ever NSCAA All-Americans that Darlington has ever had in its 107-year history.
In regards to Jane, I was just blessed to see and experience firsthand one of the proudest moments a parent, a coach and a player can have. I am just returning from watching Jane and the U.S. U17 National Team compete against Mexico, Canada, Trinidad, and other Carribean and Central American nations in the U17 Women’s FIFA – CONCACAF Championships, hosted in Guatemala. Standing in the stadium next to Mike and Chrystal Campbell, with our right hands on our hearts honoring the United States’ National Anthem, was an incredible honor and experience.
As the parent of two boys, I thought about how proud I am of all the simple yet significant accomplishments my children have achieved. As Jane and 10 other incredible young ladies took the field against Mexico, I tried to imagine the incredible feelings of pride the U.S. parents must have (about 20 parents had traveled with the team). It was such a special moment, one in which any parent would struggle to hold back tears and emotion. Standing beside these parents was one of the best places I could have been to validate what we do here at Darlington. We all feel patriotic and proud as we watch the Olympics every two years, but to be with the parents who have sacrificed so much to help their children achieve their goals was a truly special and motivating experience for me as a coach.
Check out this video in which the U-17 coach and players, including Jane, react after their 3-0 victory against Mexico.
I am so thankful to have been part of this moment. It was truly incredible, for it is these moments – and moments like we had last Friday when we signed seven more Soccer Academy players to collegiate programs – not trophies that push us. I feel blessed to be a part of our young people’s dreams and, hopefully, a guiding influence as they seek to achieve them.
At the end of the movie “Miracle,” Kurt Russell (who plays Herb Brooks) is talking about the Olympics allowing professional athletes to compete. These teams were being called “dream teams.” He says that “Olympic dream teams” actually eliminate young people’s ability to dream, but the Lake Placid Men’s Olympic Hockey team gave a nation the ability to “not only dream… but to BELIEVE.”
Watch Jane Campbell and the US U17 Women's National Team in the CONCACAF Finals, Saturday, May 12th Live at www.CONCACAF.com
I often look at Darlington’s Board of Trustees to try and find a common thread between these incredibly successful people. One obvious commonality they all have is incredible energy and love for life, people and Darlington. Another common thread is obviously Darlington, for many of them will tell you that this school changed their course in life – that their time here inspired maturation, leadership development and personal growth … and helped them reach some incredible dreams. At Darlington, I’m always amazed at how many opportunities our young people have to LEAD and ENGAGE.
Two young ladies in the Soccer Academy have chosen to dream and dream BIG! Darlington juniors Allison Wetherington and Jane Campbell are reaching some incredible goals that they set many years ago.
A few years ago, at a dinner before her departure for a National Team Camp, Jane’s dad told me that as a little girl, she said she wanted to win an Olympic Gold Medal and a World Cup. What 10- or 11-year-old says those things? Even more, what 10- or 11-year-old says those things and follows through by taking the most difficult paths through life to achieve such high goals.
Allison has the same dream and is taking a very similar same path. As a seventh-grader, she joined Darlington’s Middle School so she could train and play with the Academy. Knowing she was a “special, special player,” we at the Soccer Academy constantly threw her into the deep end of the pool. As a seventh-grader, she played with our oldest girls against college teams, and every year played at the U19 level in top showcase events. I will never forget college coaches coming up to me at the Miami Orange Classic – when she was a seventh-grader playing with and against seniors – and asking, “Is this a mistake? Is she really a 2013 Graduate?”
This year, these young ladies are fulfilling their dreams – they have utilized every moment at Darlington, both academic and athletic, to the absolute fullest! Allison has become one of the center midfielders for the US U18 Women’s National team, and has played against China and in other international friendlies. In June, she has been asked to be part of another major National Team Camp by U.S. Soccer, and will get to play beside some of her future teammates at NCAA Top-20 Portland University. Allison has been pulled into top international events in France and other locations over the past year. And this year, she and Jane became the first-ever NSCAA All-Americans that Darlington has ever had in its 107-year history.
In regards to Jane, I was just blessed to see and experience firsthand one of the proudest moments a parent, a coach and a player can have. I am just returning from watching Jane and the U.S. U17 National Team compete against Mexico, Canada, Trinidad, and other Carribean and Central American nations in the U17 Women’s FIFA – CONCACAF Championships, hosted in Guatemala. Standing in the stadium next to Mike and Chrystal Campbell, with our right hands on our hearts honoring the United States’ National Anthem, was an incredible honor and experience.
As the parent of two boys, I thought about how proud I am of all the simple yet significant accomplishments my children have achieved. As Jane and 10 other incredible young ladies took the field against Mexico, I tried to imagine the incredible feelings of pride the U.S. parents must have (about 20 parents had traveled with the team). It was such a special moment, one in which any parent would struggle to hold back tears and emotion. Standing beside these parents was one of the best places I could have been to validate what we do here at Darlington. We all feel patriotic and proud as we watch the Olympics every two years, but to be with the parents who have sacrificed so much to help their children achieve their goals was a truly special and motivating experience for me as a coach.
Check out this video in which the U-17 coach and players, including Jane, react after their 3-0 victory against Mexico.
I am so thankful to have been part of this moment. It was truly incredible, for it is these moments – and moments like we had last Friday when we signed seven more Soccer Academy players to collegiate programs – not trophies that push us. I feel blessed to be a part of our young people’s dreams and, hopefully, a guiding influence as they seek to achieve them.
At the end of the movie “Miracle,” Kurt Russell (who plays Herb Brooks) is talking about the Olympics allowing professional athletes to compete. These teams were being called “dream teams.” He says that “Olympic dream teams” actually eliminate young people’s ability to dream, but the Lake Placid Men’s Olympic Hockey team gave a nation the ability to “not only dream… but to BELIEVE.”
Watch Jane Campbell and the US U17 Women's National Team in the CONCACAF Finals, Saturday, May 12th Live at www.CONCACAF.com
